#interesting behavior of gecko.

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

rocky edge
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Hey guys, im not sure quite what to make of this, with the research ive done, im thinking hes just exploring, but im not sure, during the day he just sleeps, which is normal, but around 1am, he just starts doing this, climbing everywhere, glass surfing etc. When he gets like this i have taken him out of his enclosure to explore my bed, and he seems very content moving around and exploring, and then stops being weird after, but i just wanted to make sure i havnt missed anything.

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Ive been considering a larger enclosure, or more things for him to climb on and explore, if this is the case.

viral wind
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how big is your tank?

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it looks like you also have some sort of sand. which isn’t safe without a mix nqa

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!substrate

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viral wind
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have you read the !guide as well?

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brittle zephyr
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Nqa maybe he wants out? Id suggest looking at different substrate or switching to paper towel asap

viral wind
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yeah thats what i was thinking

left ocean
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that enclosure is also too small NQA plus there seems to be no overhead heating or uvb

viral wind
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yeah true

left ocean
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i was actually wrong about the no overhead heating but it still looks like a 10-20 gal enclosure max

rocky edge
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As well as a heat mat for night time.

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The sand part is interesting though. As i have many friends who are in the hobby and have never heard that, so thanks for the heads up i guess.

rocky edge
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If im wrong please correct me, but whats the proper sizes then?

left ocean
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The thriving minimum we recommend is 36x18x18 (often sold as 40 or 50 gallons)

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I would really recommend reading the !guide

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left ocean
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leopard geckos arent really an animal you need to start in a smaller enclosure either, babies can go straight into the adult enclosure. we also dont recommend using sand on its own at all, its bad for joint health. NQA

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it is awesome that you have overhead heating and uvb though, you dont need a heat mat however unless it gets below 65f at night

rocky edge
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Interesting. Was actually just reading the guide as you were typing, so i saw the part about tank size, so il look into that next paycheck

left ocean
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yeah the most important thing imo is the substrate should be changed

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its kinda unsafe as is

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you could use paper towels temporarily but !substrate has other options

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rocky edge
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I get paid in a few days, and il look into that. Your the first person to tell me full sand wasnt healthy, i was thinking due to impaction, but now you got me wondering.

left ocean
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its not due to impaction, we actually recommend a mixture of topsoil and playsand as a good substrate mix. its just the consistency of sand isnt natural for leopard geckos, the substrate they are naturally found on is more solid and compacted as well as it holds burrows very well due to natural clay content. NQA

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if you intend on going bioactive you can totally save the sand you have now for your substrate mix as long as it isnt calcium sand

rocky edge
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It isnt. However i forget the brand.

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Hey one more thing

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For sticks / climbinf stuff

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Can you traditionally use sticks you find outdoors, as long as you wash it off? Or is it safer to just go buy thrm

viral wind
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you can use sticks from outside and stuff but id just buy online tbh nqa

left ocean
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yeah you can get better pieces online or in stores but you can use wood from outside yeah

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if you wanna order online neherp, pangea or corkhaven are some favorites

viral wind
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neherp is so good, im ordering from them they have sm stuff

rocky edge
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@viral wind

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Would this be okay?

viral wind
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no nqa

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!substrate

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rocky edge
viral wind
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im not qualified to give reptile advice since im not an expert on it so when you’re not a qualified expert you say nqa at the end of your message when giving advice

rocky edge
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Ok, so may i ask why you say no then?

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In your personal opiniob

viral wind
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on the bag it says crushed up walnut shells and those are incorrect husbandry substrates, its dangerous for them as if they digest it they can get impacted and cant pass it through their system

rocky edge
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I assume the same for this then, which is just small rocks.

20230808_191426.jpg
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Hmmm

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Interestinf

viral wind
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you would need a sand and topsoil mix if you wanted to use something like sand as sand on its own isnt safe

rocky edge
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Can i just go to like the hardware store and get topsoil? Should i look for anything that says 100% organic?

viral wind
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as long as it doesnt have any chemicals manure or fertilizer in it , it should be safe

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!soil

raw relicBOT
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When picking a soil for your substrate mix, you want to find organic topsoil. It is worth noting that topsoil is different from potting soil.
In general, the topsoil you use should not have any additives such as fertilizers, manure or perlite/vermiculite. However, there are a select few additives such as charcoal and worm castings that are safe.
You can normally find topsoil in hardware or gardening stores, and if none is available, Reptisoil is a safe alternative.

Be aware that the soils listed in this graphic may have ingredients that vary across regions. Be sure to read the ingredients and labels to ensure they do not have any fertilizer or other harmful additives.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/917259635847737375/986308558448636024/image0-1.png.jpg

viral wind
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heres some brands you could look into getting

rocky edge
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Alright, thanks.

viral wind
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of course :)

rocky edge
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Got everything face lifted, went from that small 10, to a 35, (they dont sell 40s near me), proper substrate, and a bunch of other good additions, thoughts?

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Before and after

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I will be moving over his hides tomorrow morning, and then him

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@viral wind

left ocean
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NQA I think it looks much better than before personally, 2 things I wanna mention though. I dont see a thermostat which is necessary, I also would recommend removing the reptile hammock. The material reptile hammock is made from can cause nails to get stuck as well as harbor a ton of bacteria.

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!heating

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left ocean
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!shoppinglist

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